Loading... Blind Rage

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Posted Wed, Nov 11, 2009 by Shayalyn

Welcome to the 1,206th edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news, coverage, and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

The disabled gaming community has made many strides in pushing for accessibility in MMOGs and other video games, but a recent lawsuit by a visually impaired gamer against Sony Online Entertainment looks more like a setback for disabled gamers than a leap forward. How far do developers need to go make their games accessible to all? What constitutes a reasonable request? Read on to learn more in today's Loading... Blind Rage.

The Pulse

You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Pulse (What is The Pulse?).

Here's today's top 5 Pulse results:

Biggest movers over the past week:

Star Trek Online (DOWN 8 to #12)
DC Universe Online ((UP 5 to #19)
Atlantica Online (UP 3 to #13)

Recent Releases

9/9 - Dungeons & Dragons Online Unlimited (release date)
9/15 - Runes of Magic "The Elven Prophecy" (expansion)
9/22 - Fallen Earth (release date)
9/22 - Aion (release date)
10/8 - Cities XL (release date)
11/3 - Dragon Age: Origins (release date)
11/10 - Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection (release date)

Upcoming Releases

12/1 - LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood (expansion)
12/1 - EVE Online: Dominion (expansion)
12/2 - DOFUS 2.0 (release date)
12/15 - EverQuest: Underfoot (expansion)
2/2 - Star Trek Online (release date)
Early 2010 - APB
Feb. 2010 - EverQuest 2: Sentinel's Fate (expansion)

Loading... Daily

Last week, AbleGamers published an article addressing a lawsuit brought against Sony Online Entertainment by visually impaired gamer Alexander Stern. The lawsuit alleges that SOE ignored repeated letters and demands for accommodations for the visually impaired, and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which states the following:

No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.

The suit also takes SOE to task for cutting into Stern's cash flow, since its lack of accommodations for the visually impaired apparently hinders his selling of virtual items for real world cash through the Station Exchange.

There's no doubt that the ADA has done some good. Thanks in no small part to the ADA, disabled Americans have accommodations such as wheelchair ramps, audible signals at crossing lights, and even a Braille menu at McDonald's. All of these are positive changes that enable people with disabilities to live richer lives. (Well, the McDonald's one may be questionable, but even the disabled need a McFix from time to time.) Unfortunately, the ADA is also vaguely worded, which allows frivolous lawsuits like the one Alexander Stern brought against SOE to enter the justice system.

There, I've said it--the Stern v. SOE lawsuit is, in my opinion, a frivolous one. (AbleGamers agrees.) I believe that the MMOG industry has grown more and more sensitive to the needs of disabled gamers in recent years, thanks in part, no doubt, to the efforts of individuals and sites like AbleGamers. While there's still progress to be made in the area of accessibility, we regularly see things like voice overs, subtitles, settings for the color blind and other accommodations we wouldn't have thought to expect from our games 10 years ago. Each movement to bring more potential gamers to MMOGs is a step forward.

But lawsuits like this one do nothing but bring what progress disabled gamers have made in the area of accessibility to a screeching halt. Suddenly, instead of relating to the disabled as folks who just want to be able to play the same games we enjoy despite their disabilities, we're looking at people like Stern and seeing someone who seems to want to cash in on his disability by bringing down legal action on a large development firm. Sensational stories like this one do nothing to further the cause of communities like AbleGamers, and instead distract from and trivialize those causes.

Mark Bartlet, president of the AbleGamers non-profit organization, issued the following statement:

While I can understand this gentleman's frustration I do not believe that the courts are the place to forward accessibility in the gaming space. As a gamer, I want games to be fun for as many people as possible, but as a person with disabilities, I understand that there are limitations that I am going to face in life. This is the nature of having a disability. I think that this approach does little to endear our community and our mission to the gaming public, and this move may lower the willingness of content producers to work with organizations like AbleGamers in making reasonable changes to their games to help accommodate as many disabled gamers as possible for fear of legal action.

In short, pushing for positive change in the gaming community is not accomplished by heavy-handed lawsuits; it's accomplished through the steady and persistent efforts of those who are among, or care about, the disabled community. Instead, judging by the comments of gamers on sites like GameSpot, we're viewing the lawsuit as ridiculous and over-the-top, and potentially dismissing the valid requests of disabled gamers as similarly pointless.

The question becomes this: how far are MMOG developers required to go to accommodate disabled gamers? One could argue that whatever's being done already would likely never be enough, since for every disability accommodated another disability arises. What amounts to a reasonable request on the part of the disabled community, and which requests take things too far? Have your say in the Loading... forum.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Articles, News & Events Discussion forum

EA Cutting 1,500 Jobs, 1/3rd of Mythic and 17 Titles

We all know that the global economy is still shaky, and that point hits home whenever we hear about mass lay-offs. EA recently cut 1,500 jobs (a "head count reduction," or so their press release says) in an effort to cut expenses. That this reduction is tucked within a press release that claims record Q2 earnings certainly doesn't soften the blow.

This news stirred up our forum community. SirRobin even found speculation that Warhammer Online has lost 90% of its staff and has been put in "maintenance mode." (Let me remind you that this is only a rumor at this time.) What do you have to say about EA? Stop by our news forum and make yourself heard.

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Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread

"It's a viscious cycle - companies are not doing well because consumers are not buying their products so they have to lay off people who then don't have the money to buy their products so the company can stay afloat. It is frustrating to no end - I know people who have been affected by layoffs and I consider myself lucky I have a good job and do well at it.

Yes, EA is a big company and a lot of their decisions are profit-motivated, but a lot of companies these days are focusing on their strengths and jettisoning anything that isn't doing well. There's no room anymore for long developments of games without return. Maybe things will change maybe not. Hopefully SWTOR is not affected by this, but if it is then it is."

- Miralyn
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Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!

4 new Ten Ton Hammer MMOG features today! 38 in November! 3,010 in 2009!

Today's Exclusives at Ten Ton Hammer

Dragon Age Origins - PC Version Review
In this day and age of rampant internet growth and the desire by many to be always connected, it is a rare thing to find a game with no multi-player aspect, and rarer still for that game to feel as immersive and massive as it's online-only counterparts. BioWare has once again gone to the creative well and drawn up a masterpiece with their newest RPG offering, Dragon Age Origins. Want to know what sets this game apart and has gamers bleary eyed in the morning from playing into the wee hours of the night? Join Medawky as he delves into this epic tale in our complete review of the game.

New Features & Guides Today at Ten Ton Hammer

Champions Online - Melee DPS Build Guide
Creating a build for Champions Online can be difficult with the insane number of choices a player has. Fortunately for you, your friends at Ten Ton Hammer are here to provide a quick guide for a melee DPS build based upon Telekinesis Ego Blades.
AdventureQuest Worlds: Diary of the Dev - Mogloween and Friday the 13th

AdventureQuest Worlds is running strong and fresh off their Mogloween event, the developers are already planning more events for players. Since the last Friday the 13th event was met with a few setbacks, developers are planning a new one for players to enjoy. This week in the Artix blog we get a double dose of the good stuff with two blogs in one as the developers explain what kind of events players can expect to see in the future and what's in store for this weekend's Friday the 13th event.
Aion Asmodean Vitality Extraction Guide 200-299
In our next entry in Asmodean Vitality Gathering, we make things much more interesting. You'll be flying between zones, using teleportation, and running for your life at some point. Such is the price you pay for trespassing in level 46+ areas. Don't whine -- this is as exciting as gathering can ever get. "If I get Aggro, I'll die!", you may say if you're below level 40. Good, at least you're still sane after the last 200 levels of farming. Welcome to the 200+ range of gathering on the ground, folks!